Christian school in Gaza attacked

Monday, June 02, 2008 |
staff writer

Assailants broke into El-Manara School in Gaza City on Saturday for the second time this year and stole a bus belonging to the Bible Society as persecution of Christians continues in the hostile strip, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights reported.

“The Centre views this attack as a continuation of the security chaos plaguing the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” the organization said on its website.

According to a preliminary investigation and the guards’ statements, unknown gunmen broke into El-Manara School, owned by the Bible Society, beat the two school guards and stole a white bus belonging to the Bible Society. The same school was attacked by unknown gunmen in February as well.

And in October 2007, a Bible society worker was killed. Rami Ayyad, manager of Gaza's only Christian bookstore, was found dead of multiple stab and gunshot wounds after he was kidnapped from the Palestinian Bible Society.

Christians are outnumbered in Gaza where of 1.6 million inhabitants, only about 2,000 claim to be Christian and only about 200 of them claim to be evangelical Christians.

Also in Gaza this weekend, 10 members of a family were injured, including 4 women and 3 children, when a bomb, which was being stored inside their house, detonated. The explosion rocked the house after it was “mishandled” by a family member, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights also reported. The explosion destroyed the house completely and caused serious damages to a number of nearby houses.

“PCHR is concerned over the continued falling of victims due to the misuse of weapons or storing them in civilian areas. The Centre calls upon the authorities to place adequate restrictions to prevent the recurrence of such tragedies in order to protect civilian lives and property,” the organization said.

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